Recent years have seen a surge of apps, games and brain activity tracking modules that claim to improve cognitive function. While the developers behind the software report users show gains in memory, attention and problem solving, critics call it pseudoscience. Can you really “train” your brain with a game?

One of the biggest names in the brain training app market is Lumosity, a company that launched in 2007 and offers more than 50 games designed to improve users’ cognitive function in areas like attention span and memory. When the app first launched, Lumosity went so far as to claim that its games were scientifically proven to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and improve real-world cognitive performance.

Yet in 2016, Lumosity maker Lumos Labs agreed to pay a $2 million fine to settle charges leveled by the FTC that Lumosity deceived customers with these claims. The FTC asserted that claims that its games could sharpen thinking in everyday life and protect against cognitive decline are unfounded. More troublesome, the FTC believed their marketing intentionally preyed on customer fears of memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, states: “Lumosity simply did not have the science to back up its ads.” The FTC order imposes a $50 million judgment against Lumos Labs, which will be suspended upon payment of a $2 million fine to the Commission."

Similar charges were made last year against LearningRx, resulting in a $4 million judgment which will be suspended upon payment of a $200,000 settlement, and an agreement that developers and marketers would stop making “false and unsubstantiated claims.” According to the FTC’s complaint, LearningRx deceptively claimed that their programs were clinically proven to improve serious conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, ADHD, autism, strokes and concussions. Marketing also stated that using the product would improve school grades and college admission test scores, as well as offer a host of other benefits like higher career earnings and improved job and athletic performance.

When described in the context of a Federal Trade Commission judgment, these programs seem pure scam. Yet Lumosity was designed by neuroscientists and a collaboration of over 40 universities. According to their website, their scientists studied a group of 4,715 participants wherein half trained with Lumosity and the rest did online crossword puzzles. They say that after 10 weeks, the Lumosity group improved more than the crosswords group on “an aggregate assessment of cognition.”

While there is disagreement among neuroscientists as to whether a game can offer any cognitive benefits, the primary issue is that it has yet to be reliably proven. Critics and the FTC argue that tests run by the software developers and game makers do not meet the standards necessary to prove a correlation between the games and perceived improvement in brain function. For a product to claim specific health or medical benefits, the FTC asserts that companies must have “competent and reliable scientific evidence.” This typically involves randomized and well-controlled human clinical trials.

The bottom line? While brain training games and apps might help, they don’t hurt either. Choosing to invest $40-$80 per year in an app that may help you remember where you left your keys is really a matter of if you’re willing to invest that money to “give it a shot.” Even under the best circumstances, the success of any “training” program will depend on your willingness to commit to consistently doing the exercises. Opting to purchase one of these programs should be done with a healthy dose of skepticism and, I’d suggest, an attitude that any perceived improvement in attention or memory would be a bonus, not an expectation.

While most neuroscientists agree that the brain can be molded and can create new neuropathways, there is no reliable evidence that training on one repetitive task – like practicing a memory game over and over – has cognitive benefits. To this end, if you’re interested in trying out a brain training app or game, look for a program that offers a variety of “training” activities.

Lumosity http://www.lumosity.com/ is the largest player in this market with roughly 85 million users worldwide. For $80/year they promise personalized “brain training” games that work off your baseline cognitive function test to challenge and improve your responsiveness, memory and focus. Whether gameplay improvement will translate into real life benefits? The verdict is still out.

The Elevate app https://www.elevateapp.com/ earned Apple’s App of the Year award in 2014 for its training program of personalized daily workouts focused on the skills you indicate you want to improve. Games were designed in collaboration with experts in neuroscience and cognitive learning. Progressive difficulty keeps games challenging and over 40 training activities offer variety for an investment of $40/year.

While brain training games can be a fun way to engage in an activity that feels more challenging and mindful than playing Super Mario Run or Cut the Rope, keep in mind that science indicates that daily exercise and consistent sleep are more likely to improve your memory than games. But who has time for meaningful lifestyle changes when there are mobile games to play? (That was a joke, dear reader.)

Nerd Chick Adventures is written by Andrea Eldridge and Heather Neal from Nerds On Call, an onsite computer and laptop repair company in Redding. They can be reached at nerdchick@callnerds.com.